Typically, a protective garment for a firefighter, such as a firefighter's coat, comprises a body, such as a coat, a collar sewn to the body, and a chinstrap, which spans two front portions of the collar when the protective garment is worn.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,938, the chinstrap is attached fixedly to one such front portion of the collar, possibly by sewing, and is fastened removably to the other front portion of the collar by a hook-and-pile fastener at one end of the chinstrap. As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,941 and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,037, the chinstrap is separate and is fastened removably to both front portions of the collar by hook-and-pile fasteners at both ends of the chinstrap.
A need has arisen, to which this invention is addressed, for a protective garment, as described, in which the chinstrap can be alternatively worn so as to cover more of the mouth and chin region of the wearer's face, as when a firefighter wearing the protective garment is involved in a tactical situation but is not wearing a breathing apparatus, or so as to cover less of the mouth and chin region of the wearer's face, as when a firefighter wearing the protective garment is involved in a tactical situation and is wearing a breathing apparatus or when such a firefighter is not involved in a tactical situation.